Trigger mechanism for firearms



Aug. 1968 B. w. BROWNING 3,395,613

TRIGGER MECHANSIM FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.4 INVENTOR. BRUCE w. BROWNING HIS [fizz 6, 1968 B. w. BROWNING 3,395,613

TRIGGER MECHANSIM FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. 5, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BRUCE W. BROWNING BY W.

HIS ATTORN E Y 3,395,613 TRIGGER MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Bruce W. Browning, Ogden, Utah, assignor to Browning Industries, Incorporated, Morgan County, Utah, a corporation of Utah Filed Jan. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 606,845 1 Claim. (Cl. 89146) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention provides an improved trigger assembly for firearms wherein the hammer of the assembly is actuated directly by the returning bolt carrier of the assembly to re-cock the firing mechanism. The latter is accomplished whether the trigger has been released or remains in a depressed condition.

The present invention relates to a certain firearm improvement, and more particularly, to a new and improved trigger assembly, whether integral with or detachable from the receiver of the firearm, wherein the hammer is actuated directly by the returning bolt carrier assembly to re-cock the firing mechanism, and this whether the trigger has been released or remains depressed,

Specifically, the present invention embodies the new concept of providing in a firing mechanism a hammer having a rearward portion which, upon bolt carrier assembly retrieval and through actuation of the hammer thereby, will directly engage a novel connector-disconnector in the mechanism so that the piece is re-cocked for subsequent firing, and this whether or not the previous trigger depression has been released. Such a construction has proven to be highly reliable, positive and direct in action and less expensive to produce than other known structures using separate disconnectors, breech bolt rods, multiple sears, and so forth.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a firing mechanism wherein, through a novel construction of trigger, connector-disconnector, sear and hammer, the functions of cocking, firing, and re-cocking through connector-disconnector displacement may be directly effectuated.

An additional object of the preesnt invention is to provide in a firing mechanism a unique connector-disconnector in a firing mechanism which operates both to connect the trigger to the hammer-releasing sear and also to disconnect the trigger from the said sear, this in order to enable the sear to retract and thus re-engage the hammer irrespective of whether or not prior trigger depression has been released.

Another object is to provide in a sear, connector-disconnector, and trigger construction a single compression spring which functions to bias the trigger forwardly, the connector-disconnector upwardly, and the sear rearwardly so as to selectively engage the hammer for re-cocking.

Another object is to provide in a firing mechanism a hammer having a rearward extension suitably dimensioned to engage and displace downwardly a connectordisconnector, thereby permitting automatic re-engagement of the sear with the retrieved hammer even though prior trigger depression may yet exist.

Another object is to provide a firearm structure wherein for hammer re-cocking the hammer of the firing assembly is directly engaged and actuated by the reciprocating bolt carrier assembly of the firearm.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be undernited States Patent 3,395,613 Patented Aug. 6, 1968 ice stood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a trigger assembly incorporating the principles of the present invention; in FIGURE 1 the hammer of the assembly is shown in cocked position.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of the trigger assembly illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the structure of FIGURES 13 and is taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the major operating portion of the trigger assembly, wherein the trigger has just been depressed so as to release the hammer of the mechanism for firing.

FIGURE 6 is similar to FIGURE 5, illustrating that upon retrieval of the hammer, as by the slideable engagement thereacross of the 'bolt carrier assembly, the rearward extension of the hammer is caused to proceed downwardly to disengage the connector-disoonnector from the sear of the mechanism; as a result of this action the sear is left free to advance rearwardly, under the action of its own spring bias, to engage the sear notch of the hammer and thus retain the latter in cocked position, and this whether or not the prior depression of the trigger still exists.

FIGURE 7 is similar to FIGURE 6, illustrating the condition of the mechanism wherein the hammer has regained from its over-travel and engagement with the connector-disconnector and has actually come again into reengagement with the sear. In FIGURE 7 it will be noted that the upper surface of the outer extremity of the connector-dis-connector is actually engaging the sear. This is because of the spring bias of the connector, which will be described hereinafter, and the fact that the trigger has not as yet been released.

In FIGURES 1-4 a trigger guard 10 of trigger mechanism or assembly A is shown including the usual finger loop 11. The trigger guard 10 also includes the pivot pins 12, 13, and 14 for retaining the hammer 15, sear 16, and a trigger 17 in their intended pivoting positions within the cavity area 19 of the trigger guard. It will be understood that the trigger guard is provided at its cavity area with suitable recesses and aperture means to accommodate the various parts shown including trigger 17. It will be noted that trigger 17 includes a finger portion 18 which is integral with the usual upper extension 19. Upper extension 19 may have a bifurcated extremity 20 which journals connector-disconnector 21 by pivot pin 22. The connector-disconnector 21 includes a scar thrust abutment surface 22 and also a stop shoulder 23. As to the hammer 15 itself, the same includes a rearward extension 24 provided with interior, sear-receiving notch 25. Sear 16 includes a sear tooth 26 and also a shoulder 27 which limits the entrance or inter-engagement between the hammer and sear proximate the region of sear tooth 26.

Hammer 15 is shown to include a spring guide pivot pin 28 which is pivotally journaled within the hammer and accommodates the mainspring guides 29 and 30. Guides 29 and 30 pass through oversized apertures 31 and 32 of transverse pin mounts 33. The two mainsprings 34 and 35 are illustrated and supply the thrust to the hammer for firing. The mainsprings themselves are conventional and will have the usual high spring constant.

Of importance is the inclusion of a spring guide pin 36 which seats in bore 37 of the sear and fulcrums within aperture 38 of connector-disconnector 21. A spring 39 is disposed between the connector-disconnector 21 and sear 13, takes the form of a compression spring, and is slightly angulated rearwardly from the vertical going from bottom to top. It is this orientation of the spring which serves as a biasing spring means to bias the trigger forwardly for firing. This spring also serves to urge the connector-disconnector 21 upwardly and also the sear 13 rearwardly so that the latter may engage the hammer 15 when the same is in its rearward cocking position.

Pin 14 simply serves as a pivot pin for hammer 15. It should be noted at this juncture that the spring guide pivot pin 28 not only accommodates the main spring guide pins but also serves as a double stop, i.e, at dotted-line position F in FIGURE 1 when the hammer has achieved its forward extremity of travel and, correspondingly, at dotted-line posit-ion R in FIGURE 1 when it has achieved its rearward extremity of travel. It will be noted that the position of pin 28 will be such so as still to permit the over-travel of rearward extension 24 of hammer 15, as hereinafter explained.

At this point it is important to note that the invention applies whether the trigger mechanism or assembly A may be detached "from the receiver as an integral unit, as is shown in the present drawings, or whether in fact the mechanism A is made an integral part of the receiver through the use of receiver journaling pins or otherwise. Hence, the term trigger guard shall refer not only to the trigger housing, where a separate trigger mechanism or firing assembly which can be removed from the receiver is used, but also to the related portion of a firearm wherein the trigger assembly and firing mechanism are an integral part of the receiver.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the condition of the structure as exists when the hammer has been cocked and the mechanism is ready for firing.

FIGURE 5 shows the condition of the structure when the trigger has initially been depressed so that the trigger pivots about pivot pin 14, thus thrusting upper extension 19 forwardly to advance the connector-disconnector 21 forwardly also. Since the connector-disconnector 21 is an engagement with hammer cocking sear 16, the forward movement of the member 21 will serve to disconnect the sear 16 from hammer 15, thereby releasing the hammer which, under the action of its mainsprings 34 and 35, advances forwardly to strike the firing pin (not shown) of the firearm.

The present invention is best suited to a magazine-type firearm such as a semi-automatic rifle, for example. There are many ways in which the bolt carrier assembly B (shown only in fragmentary view in FIGURE 6) may be returned within receiver C so as to engage directly and thereby re-cock automatically the hammer of the firing mechanism. One way, of course, is to connect directly the bolt carrier assembly by suitable arms or connector means to an inertia block which is gas operated However, the present invention pertains solely to the invention that pertains to the subject combination firing-mechanisem trigger assembly and the actuation of the hammer thereof directly "by the bolt carrier assembly.

In any event, and considering in the subject referenced application a return of a hammer to its cocked position via the automatic retrieval of the bolt carrier assembly, the hammer will be returned as shown in FIGURE 6 to its over-travel position wherein the rearward extension 24 of hammer advances downwardly, under pressure exerted against the hammer by bolt carrier assembly B, so as to disengage the connector-disconnector 21 and thereby release the sear 16 from the thrusting action of connector-disconnector 21. This causes the sear to pivotally advance in a counter-clockwise direction about its pin 13, under the action of spring 39, so as to again be in position to re-engage the hammer 24. It is noted that this is made possible even though the trigger 17 may be yet depressed.

When the trigger is finally released, immediately after the condition shown in FIGURE 7, then the upper extension 19 of the trigger is displaced to the left so that surface 22 will ultimately abut the sear 16 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4. Hence, the firing mechanism at this point will be ready for subsequent firing in the manner previously indicated with respect to FIG- URE 4. Accordingly, the sequence of operation shown in the figures is as follows: FIGURE 4, 5, 6, 7 and back to FIGURE 4.

Of special importance are the combined functions of the compression spring 39. Compression spring 39 serves to spring-bias the trigger 17 forwardly, the connector-disconnector 21 upwardly (so that the latter may suitably selectively engage sear 16) and back biases sear 16.

There are optional embodiments, not shown, which may also be used and which fall within the conception of the present invention, Thus, the axis sequence of the various pivot pins 13, 14, and 12 may be modified in accordance with the preferred design for the firearm intended. Also, the trigger may be positioned at any desired point along the trigger guard, this in order to accommodate stock design and so forth. Additionally, the scar and connector-disconnector may be oppositely directed toward each other. However, a preferred form of the invention, and one which has proven very satisfactory in operation and involving only a minimum manufacturing cost, is that illustrated in the several figures of the instant drawings.

As to the trigger, it is noted that the upper extension 19 is disposed above the trigger pivot at 14. Obviously the extension could be disposed below the pivot were the connectondisconnector to extend rearwardly and the remaining parts suitably modified accordingly. However, and again, the described structure is believed preferred in practicing the invention.

What thus obtains is the provision of a trigger and firing mechanism wherein the rearward extension 24 of the hammer 15 is itself used directly to disconnect the connector-disconnertor from the sear 16 in order to all-ow the same to advance rearwardly to re-engage hammer 14 even though the trigger may continue to be depressed. This feature avoids cumbersome structures heretofore used, such as those involving double sears, independent disconnectors, rods attached to bolt carrier assemblies, and so forth.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A trigger mechanism including, in combination, a trigger guard; a hammer pivoted to said trigger guard for longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said hammer having a rearward extension provided with an upwardly facing sear-receiving notch; compression spring means mounted to and between said hammer and said trigger guard for urging said hammer forwardly in its firing stroke; a sear pivoted to said trigger guard for longitudinal movement and including a sear tooth selectively engaging said sear-receiving notch; a trigger pivoted to said trigger guard for longitudinal movement with respect thereto, said trigger including an upper extension; a connector-disconnector pivoted to said trigger upper extension and including a terminal portion thrustingly engaging said sear beneath the latters engagement with said hammer; spring means for biasing said trigger forwardly, said c-onnector-disconnector upwardly into engagement with said sear, and said sear into engagement with said hammer; said sear, connector-disconnector, and said hammer rearward extension being mutually constructed and arranged that rearward and downward over-travel of said hammer rearward extension produces an engagement thereof with said connector-disconnector and a thrusting of the latter out of engagement with said sear, permitting said sear tooth of the latter to advance to engagement position with said sear-receiving notch of said hammer rearward extension regardless of the disposition of said trigger, and wherein said sea-r is provided with a rearward extension disposed rearwardly of the sear pivot axis, said spring means comprising a single compression spring means disposed between and engaging said connector-dis connector and said sear at said se-ar rearward extension, said compression spring means being slanted from the vertical rearwardly from bottom to top, thereby supplying spring-bias to said trigger.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

